Combined cultivator and weeder.



' Patented' 1mb.l s, '1916,

ngNirnn srA'rnsf PATENT onirica.

CARL H. CRAWFORD, oF'sPoKANE, WASHINGTON.

COMBINED CuLTivA'ron AND WEEDER.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. CRAwFoRD, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Spokane,`in the county of Spokane and State Y of I/Vashington', have invented certainfnew and useful Improvements in Combined Cultivators and l/Veeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in weeders and cultivators and *hasV to do more particularly with implements of this character employing a rotary rod advanclng' beneath the surface soil. l

It has been found that by rotating a rod and advancing the rod beneath the surface soil, that it not only connects with Aand pulls up or winds up the roots of weeds but-1t also packs vthe sub-soil and loosens the surface soil in such ai manner that moisture passes beneath the surface and enters'theV packed sub-soil where it is most needed by theiroots of the plants. Heretofore, the diiiiculty with machines of this character has been that the rotating rods had a tendency tovpull out of the'soil and it was necessary to maintain a. sustained thrust 'on the r'od to keep it down into the soil.

Y The essencev of the present invention, is to so construct the device -that draft pull will be imposed in such a manner as totrans-V mit a depressingthrust on the rod and maintain the rod beneath the surface soil,.without any levers'orv links for performing this function. v

.A further novel feature consists in applying or transmitting rotary motion to the rod in such a manner that the transmission of rotary motion will impart a downward thrust tending to maintain the rod beneath the surface soil. f p i A further novel feature consists in regulating the depth `of depression of the rod into the surface soil, and in the preferredv construction, the regulating means rolls on the soil slightly vin advance of the rod so Y that the desired depth canbe accurately ascertained and maintained;

Other features of noveltyy will be more fully describedin connection with Vthe ac-` companying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appendedclaims. u

In the drawing Figure 1 is av plan view'v of a combined cultivator and weeder embodying oneform of my invention. Fig. 2

is a sectional view on line 2 2 of lFig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different iigures ofthe dra-wing. 1- i Y `As illustrated, l designates bearing wheels which are mounted upon'an axle 2. A' frame '3 is tiltably mounted-on the aXlel 2 and eX- tends forwardly therefrom so that the forward portion 4 ofthe frame will normally act to tilt downwardly by gravity. y The frame may be constructed of channel iron and may be rectangular as shown, end membersbeing indicated at 5.

yA yoke 6, offsubstantially U-shaped construction, has its terminals 7 journaled on of vsaid 'yoke 6, I

axle 2 and at lthe bight attach a tongue 8 by means which may comprise angle irons 9. -The bearings 1 will be Aof such diameter that the tongue 8 will be inclined slightly upwardly, from the aXle I 2, with respect tothe horizontal, especially in the form shown. Furthermore, the tiltable frame will normally tilt downwardly from the longitudinal aXis of the draftV i means, comprising the yoke and tongue.

lDepending bearing hangers l are shown attached to the tiltable frame at 11 and in their lower ends is j'ournaled the combined cultivating and weeder rod l2. The forward terminals of the bearings 10`are knife edged, as indicated at 13, so that'they will subdividerthe soil and reduce 'resistance to advancing movement of the bearings beneath the soilsurfa'ce. VAline 14 indicates the soil surface.

` A lline 15. indicates the sub-soil that is packed by th'el cultivating rod 12.

the line of packing soil. v

Now itwill be seen that when The area 16 .is the loosened surface soilabove i the line of u draft is applied to the axle, coincident with the inclined -tongue 8, that the tiltable frame` in addition to its normal action of tilting downwardly with the rod l2, will lhave limparted theretov a thrust which will tend` to bury the rod 12 into the soil.

It is thus a feature of my invention to employ the draft to impart thrustto the rod12-tobury the samein vthe soil. Yew in order to regulate the depth of the rod 12,"I provide means `which may comprise caster rollers lvvmounted in forks V18 which are rotative'in bearings 19.` Bearings 19 areshown mounted upon arms 20 attached to the forward frame member 4, at 2l. Now it is a featureof my invention, to dispose the caster caster rollers, are used, they will notv tend c Patented-Feb.s,1e1e. Application filed October 12, 1915. Serial No. 55,427.

i rollers 17, 4 in advance of the rod 12, so that if broad to mash down the `c pper loose soil 16. Furthermore, by extending the casters considerably forwardly of the tiltable frame, the leverage is such that they can easily hold up the frame against excessive downward tilting movement without greatly increasing the drag on the implement. Plowever, l do not wish to be limited to this particular means of supporting the tiltable frame as the latter might be suspended from the tongue, if desired.

Means is providedfor transmitting rotary motion to rod 12, and in the present construction, such means may comprise gear wheels 22, mounted on axle 2, and meshing with Oear wheels 23 mounted upon the tiltable frame. Flexible shafting 2a connects the wheels 23 with the rod 12 to rotate the latter.

Now it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, that when the gear wheel 22 rotates in a clockwise direction, it will not only rotate gear wheel 23, but in so doing, it will impart a downward thrust through gear wheel 23 to the tiltable frame to normally act to tilt the framedownwardly. Thus it will be seen that l Anot only tilt the frame downwardly by the draft imparted to the implement, but l also tilt the frame downwardly by rotary transmission imparted to the rod 12. l consider these features novel singly, and together.

If there should be any tendency of the bearing wheels 1 to tilt up about the rod 12 as a fulcrum, or pivot, l provide means for counteracting any such tendency which may comprise a retainer 25, fixed to the tongue 8, as shown at 26, and extending rearwardly to a point above member 8 of the tiltable frame. l may nterpose a spring 27 between the terminal end of the retainer and the frame member 3 so that the latter will-always be engaged. However, by disposing the rollers 17, forwardly of the rod 12, these rollers themselves will counteract any tendency of the draft to lift the frame about rod 12 as a fulcrum. Furthermore, if the implement is desired as a riding implement, the feet of the rider may extend rearwardly from the frame member 8, so that the riderfs weight will hold the bearing wheels down against upward tilting movement.

VVeeders of this character, are only used insoil which has been cleared very thoroughly and therefore it is not necessary to contemplate engagement of the rod 12 with rocks and stumps of partially cleared land.

Agriculturists of scientific standing, have clearly determined the great advantage of loosening the surface soil so as to let moisture down through the loosened surface soil, and packingv the sub-soil so as to retain the moisture ata point below the surface, which is at an elevation under the surface soil of most advantage to the roots of plants. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated by considerable use, that a rod rotating beneath the surface soil, will wind up the roots of weees in such a manner as to effectively exterminate the latter.

lWhile l have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, l do not wish to be limitedthereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. As a means for weeding and cultivatingy soil, a bearing structure including bearing wheels, a weeding and cultivating rod carried by said structure, and means causing said rod to be depressed beneath the soil surface on forward movement of said structure, substantially as described.

2. Asa means for weeding and cultivating soil, a bearing structure including bearing wheels, a weeding and cultivating rod carried by said structure, means causing said rod to be maintained beneath the soil surface on forward movement of said structure, and means for limiting` the depth of depression of said rod, substantially as described.

3: As a means for weeding and cultivating soil, a. bearing structure including bearing wheels, a weeding and cultivating rod journaled on said structure, and mechanism transmitting rotary drive to said rod to depress the `latter into and rotate the same beneath the soil surface, substantially as described. l

eli. As a means for weeding and cultivating-soil, a bearing structure including bearing wheels, a weeding and cultivating rod journaled on said structure, .mechanism transmitting rotarydrive to said rod to depress the rod Abelow the surface soil and rotate the rod, and means causing said rod to be maintained` beneath the surface soil on forward movement of said structure, substantially as described.

5. As a means for weeding and cultivating soil, bearing wheels, a frame rotatably mounted on said wheels to tilt downwardly forwardly of the axes of said wheels, a rod journaled in said frame vforwardly of the axes of said wheels, and means applying draft rearwardly ofl said rod to depress the i latter into the soil, substantially as described.

6. As ar means `-for weeding and cultivating soil, bear-ing wheels, a frame rotatably mounted on said wheels to tilt downwardly forwardly'of the axes of said wheels, a rod journaled in said frame forwardly of the axesof said wheels, means for applyingdraft at the axes of said wheels to depress said rod -below the soil surface, and means mountedfon said frame for regulating the extent of depression of said rod, substantially as described.

7. As a means for weeding and cultivating soil, bearing wheels, axles for said wheels,

a frame mounted onsaid axles and projecting forwardly to tilt downwardly, a rodTr journaled on said frame, means for transmitting motion from said wheels to rotate said rod and impart downward thrust to said frame to depress the rod into the soil, a caster supporting saidframe against suc cessive tilting movement, a draft yoke and tongue pivotally connected withy said axles and extending forwardly of said frame to exert downward tilting thrust on said frame when draft is applied to said axles, and a device carried by said tongue for engagement withv said frame to prevent upward movement of said bearing wheels, substantially as'described.

S. As a means for weeding and cultivatingy soil, bearing wheels, means for advancing said wheels, a frame tiltably mounted on said wheels and projecting forwardly therefrom to move downwardly by gravity, and a weeding rod journaled in said frame to be depressed beneath the soil surface by downward gravity movement of said frame and advancing movement of the latter, substantially as described.

9. As a means for weeding and cultivating soil, bearing wheels, a frame floatingly mounted on said wheels to tilt downwardly by gravity, a weeding cultivating rod journaled on said frame, and draft means applying draft to said wheels at an upward Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents neath the soil surface as said means is moved along the soil, substantially as described.

1l. In a weeder, a weeder rod, and carrying structure draft propelled means automatically forcing saidrod beneath the soil surface as said means is moved along the soil,

substantially as described.

l2. In a weeder, a weeder rod, a structure for pushing said rod into the soil surface as said structure is advanced along the soil, means positioned to rest 0n the surface of the soil for limiting depression of said rod, and means for transmitting rotary motion to said rod, substantially as described.

13. In a weeder, a weeder rod, a carrying structure for forcing said rod below the soil surface as said structure is moved along the soil, lsaid structure having bearing wheels tracking rearwardly of said rod, and means for rotating said rod, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby aliix my signature;

CARL H. CRAWFORD.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

